Haiku: Finding Your Place

“I think you travel to search and you come back home to find yourself there.” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Haiku: Finding Your Place – Open the Door Within

Finding Your Place I
Every day… we reach
Inside our hearts to seek … Love
To find our place … Home

When the cows come home…
ring the bells, open the doors
Let LOVE fill your space!

I grew up on three continents, and traveled most of my life from one locale to another. I used to call myself an international nomad but, I stopped laying claim to that title after I got married, had my twins, and settled into life in suburbia. America has been my home for the last 20+ years and, by claiming this nation and this space as a family person and an observer of life, I have come full circle in my effort to find my place in this world. But, it has not come without its share of challenges… That is the norm of our human birth; our challenges are a big part of our human experiences. As long as we live and push ourselves to step outside the confines and comforts of our family connections, we will meet our peaks and valleys. Is there a life without struggle?

“There is just this moment. We are not trying to improve or to get anywhere else.” Jon Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are

Haiku: Finding Your Place – Open the Door Within

Finding Your Place II
We traveled the globe…
Nomads in search of abode
We found it … within

Even as I write this post, I straddle multiple worlds. I speak a few languages (some poorly), and my family ties are far reaching across the globe. I am still very much an internationalist but my heart is inextricably tied to my American born children, my Nigerian born siblings, and my British family and friends. Our family ties are our first foundation in society, and those ties help us establish our sense of belonging. It is from that vantage point that we connect with the rest of the world in our search to find our place. Our interactions in the world help us form all sorts of relationships with others, and we form many unions during our lifetimes. While some unions fade away over time, others remain lasting unions that help us endure the hardships, the losses, and the joys that make up our human experience. These unions/relationships provide fodder for our memory banks and our creativity, they push us to look at ourselves, and they open our hearts to understand the world a bit better; So, to find our place, we must first find ourselves.

More Below!

“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” Harriet Beecher Stowe

Haiku: Finding Your Place – Open the Door Within

Finding Your Place III
While finding your place
Open the door within … look
You’re already home

Wherever you go…
the birds will come home to roost
There, you’ll find… yourself

I’ve always believed that everything in life has a season. There are times of growth and times of hibernation, and the same applies to every form of life. If we push against that natural order of things, we create a disruption of the process that can lead us down a completely different pathway … and not always with the best intentions. Still, to find who we truly are, we must listen, observe and take time for self; following the actions of the crowd is very much a lemming approach and we know what happens to them. So find your space, place, and yourself, and marinade in your discoveries for a while. The results will empower and enrich your life. How are you finding your place in the world?

This post was inspired by a Daily Word Prompt: Finding Your Place – This week, tell us about a place that has helped shape who you are. You may tweak this challenge in a way that makes sense to you. Other ideas: Tell us about a place that is a key setting in your life story: Tell us about a country where you feel most at home. Describe a city that challenged (or defeated) you. A place you once loved is no longer the same. Why? To help other participants and new fans find your response in the Reader, tag your post #DiscoverWP. Not sure how to add a tag? Learn more.